Game Masters play Melbourne

The Australian Centre for the Moving Image (ACMI) today announced a series of public and industry events to accompany the Game Masters Melbourne Winter Masterpieces exhibition opening Thursday 28 June 2012.

From Tuesday 26 June, ACMI will provide opportunities for fans and industry to hear from international game developers in town for the official opening of the exhibition.

International guests Peter Molyneux OBE (Populous, Dungeon Keeper and Fable series’), Tim Schafer (Psychonauts, Brütal Legend) and Warren Spector (Deus Ex,Disney Epic Mickey) will take part in a series of public programs going on sale this Friday 18 May at 10am AEST.

Between Tuesday 26 and Friday 29 June, Molyneux, Schafer and Spector will each feature in their own In Conversation event, designed to give audiences an insight into their craft, career and inspirations. To coincide with this announcement, ACMI today released an extract from a newly commissioned video interview with Molyneux to be shown within the exhibition.

Commencing on the opening day of the exhibition, ACMI and Film Victoria present Game Masters: The Forum, a two-day industry symposium designed for professionals and budding game developers. The forum will provide a rare opportunity for industry to convene in Melbourne with some of the world’s leading practitioners in attendance. Game Masters: The Forum will open with a keynote presentation by Molyneux, followed by a panel discussion with key industry figures on the future of the games industry. Other sessions will cover topics such as the role of storytelling, the relationship between creativity and commerce, the independent development landscape, the state of the Australian industry, and the roles that cultural institutions and collectors play in the gaming world. A full program is available on the ACMI website from today.

Together with Film Victoria, ACMI presents Re:Play, a monthly event curated by ACMI and Freeplay that brings together game developers, critics, journalists, academics and other industry experts to explore aspects of gaming culture, with sonic contributions from house bands. The July event will focus on adaptations and videogames and in August, Re:Play will focus on the role of character in gaming.

The Game Masters exhibition opens in time for the school holidays. Each weekday for two weeks from Monday 2 July, ACMI will present the Kids in the Studio workshop, Adventures in a Videogame. The free program will allow children between the ages of 4 and 12 to learn about green screen technology by featuring as a character in a videogame. For kids aged 9 to 12, the school holiday program offers a three-day intensive film making workshop, Make a Movie: Games on Frames. In small groups, participants will script, storyboard, act, direct and edit their own film based on a video game. The budding filmmakers present their films at a screening on the final day.

Throughout the exhibition, ACMI will present Game Masters Intermix, a series of free workshops for teenagers. The July event will be a Chiptune workshop allowing participants to work with Australian sound artists to create their own 8-bit game soundtrack. In August, the Game Masters Intermix session caters for young women passionate about games featuring some of the most dynamic female industry professionals to inform and inspire.

The workshop program throughout the exhibition is designed for rich hands-on experiences. Wintery weekends in August will feature a Machinima workshop, The Art of Virtual Filmmaking, as well as a free drop-in activity, Games: A Family Affair, designed for families to enjoy together.

The public program also includes curator talks though the exhibition on select dates.

ACMI will soon announce a late night entertainment program to coincide with the extended hours of the exhibition and a game-themed film program.

More public programs to run throughout September and October will be announced in the coming months.

ACMI’s Game Masters is a highly interactive videogame exhibition, showcasing the work of leading local and international videogame designers from the arcade era through to the latest console and mobile game technology. Over 30 game designers who have made a significant impact in the field will be profiled throughout the exhibition, including well-known international, independent and Australian game designers. The designers’ work will be explored through 125 playable games and a combination of rare concept artwork and newly commissioned interviews in a spectacular gaming universe designed for all ages and abilities. The exhibition runs until 28 October 2012.

Tickets to the public programs go on sale to the general public on Friday 18 May via acmi.net.au. For full information on the Game Masters public and industry program, please visit acmi.net.au